Portugal Does Not Forget the Ghost of 1755: 30-Year Giant Strategy Against Earthquakes

Centuries have passed since that great disaster that virtually wiped Lisbon off the map in 755, but as long as we live in these lands, there is always the anxiety of knowing when the fault lines will wake up. Scientists and geologists have been shouting "prepare" for years. Finally, a giant step is being taken on the executive side that will provide a concrete response to these warnings. According to the information provided by Íris Marçal from The Portugal News and CNN Portugal, the government is preparing to implement a national prevention strategy that will span 30 years in order to reduce the country's seismic risk and increase building safety. The target date is as clear as it is symbolic: 2055, the 300th anniversary of the Great Lisbon Earthquake! Schools, Hospitals and Infrastructure Under the Focus At the center of this long-term plan are the most critical points of the city that need to survive in the event of a possible earthquake. The process will start with a comprehensive mapping and technical inspection move. The structures that are targeted to be scanned and strengthened in the first stage are: Schools, nurseries and educational institutions, hospitals and health centers, water, electricity networks and critical public service lines. The aim is to identify the weak links in the field one by one and strengthen the points that require urgent intervention in order of priority. A State Commitment Above Politics This project is designed as a state project that must be implemented without compromise for 30 years, going beyond election periods or government changes. Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Miguel Pinto Luz confirmed that the political will exists to fulfill this commitment after a critical meeting with experts in geology and earthquake engineering. Minister Pinto Luz candidly admits that previous governments were insufficient to respond to the warnings made by the academy and technical teams for decades. President António José Seguro also fully supports placing seismic risk reduction at the top of national priorities by establishing direct contact with the scientific world. Construction Codes and Legislation Are Being Rewritten The first and most concrete phase of the plan; There will be a complete revision of construction and urban transformation standards, that is, building codes. This regulation; It is carried out shoulder to shoulder with the National Civil Engineering Laboratory (LNEC), Instituto Superior Técnico and the Chamber of Engineers, which has established a special Risk Management Committee within itself. Although the official launch date of the text has not been announced yet, the Ministry states that technical studies continue uninterruptedly. We hope that this 30-year plan, shaped by the opinions of actors who know the field very well, such as the Portuguese Earthquake Engineering Association and the ReSist Program of the Municipality of Lisbon, will not remain on paper and will make Portugal a truly protected castle against a possible future disaster.